Review by Tara on July 15, 2017.

Do you enjoy heavy riffs? Do you also happen to like Swedish Death Metal? If you answered yes to both questions, chances are you will be truly entralled by this latest full length release from Swede-bangers Paganizer.

Swedish death metal will always have a special place in my heart. Most metal fans without broken ears will agree with this sentiment. Paganizer are a band who are highly prolific and consistently enjoyable. Land of Weeping Souls will be a treat for long time fans and easily appealing to anyone hearing a Paganize album for the first time.

Released just a year after the crushing On The Outskirts of Hades EP, Land Of Weeping Souls is 35 minutes of unrelenting and punishing death metal that is truly hellbent on destroying everything in its path. Paganizer have always had a curious quality to them, a sort of mechanical feel to their overall sound. By no means is this meant as a dig, but rather, the band operate efficiently and quickly which results in songs that are short and to the point. 

For a band that is ten albums deep into their career, it seems as though Paganizer are getting heavier as time passes. Land Of Weeping Souls is one death metal album that shouldn't be overlooked and will surely hold the test of time alongside their previous releases.

Review by JD on June 15, 2010.

Finland has some wickedly amazing metal coming out of the small snow-swept country, some of the most brutal yet intriguing music that raises the bar for others. Because of that, this two band split EP made me curious as hell.

Each band has one original song on the CD, as well as each have chosen an Iron Maiden cover to add in as well. Deathchain does one of my favourite Maiden tunes 'Purgatory'...and does a great job of it. Sotajumala does 'Prowler'... another classic tune and a very intensely
enjoyable version has been born. Each do an amazing job of their respective covers... but the one original tune was a difference maker.

Sotajumala single original track is called 'Sinun Virtesi'. A track that is pretty good in spots, but ends up falling very short of being close to memorable. The track sounds just like a whole lot of other bands out there... and really does wallow in the murkiness of the mundaneness that is the scene. The recording was a little shoddy as well, and that added to the whole thing.

Deathchain’s original song is called 'The Crawling Chaos'. It has some great guitar work and interesting melody that perked my interest a little... but that does not hid the fact that the song is boring. The band do have some serious talent that I can hear, but I am feeling as if they had picked the wrong song to put out. The song does not showcase that they have talent... a fact perfectly clear to any who hear it.

So there you have it. They have proven to do cover classic metal great, but they really do need work in the original department. I hear that both bands have some talent that is not evident on the EP, but sadly, its being talented as a cover band. I hope I am wrong here, but I can only go with what I am hearing. Covers were good; originals were not. Nuff said.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 6
Atmosphere: 5
Production: 5
Originality:3.5
Overall: 5

Rating: 4.9 out of 10